Tire armor



J. FERRO TIRE ARMOR Filed Sept. 2 2, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J. FERRO TIRE ARMOR Filed Sept. 32, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 11:2 mini Q Patented Dec. 9, 1924-.

JOSEPH FER/R0, F SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS.

TIRE ARMOR.

Application filed. September To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrrr FnRRo, a citizen of the United States, residing at- Springfield, in the county of Sangamon and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Tire Armor-s, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved construction of the class of armors for enveloping pneumatic-tire casings, in which the armor comprises flexibly connected metal links; and it is clearly described in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a broken view in side elevation of my improved armor;

Figure 2 shows two plates, upper and lower, of a cover-detail preferably employed in the armor;

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3, Fig. 2, through the two cover-forming plates riveted fiatwise together;

Figure 4: is a broken plan view illustrating the manner of connecting adjacent links;

Figure 5 is a plan view of the clip-device provided for connecting, cluster-like, four adjacent links by looping its arms about them and riveting the arms together;

Figure 6 is a section on line 66, Fig. 1, showing my improved armor applied to a pneumatic tire, and

Figure 7 is a broken plan or side view showing connected links with the cover applied to one thereof.

Series of links, 8 and 9, extend transversely about the circumference of the structure, those in adjacent series being in relatively staggered relation. Each pair of the links 9 in a series has connected therewith the opposite members of a pair of adjacent links 8, in the two series flanking such series of the links 9, by a four-armed clip 10, by bending or looping its arms 1O about adjacent sides of the links 9 and the arms 1O about those of the aforesaid links 8; and the mutually overlapping connector-arms are riveted together through the holes shown at 11 in Fig. 5, thus producing a cluster 12 of four flexibly united links, .as represented in Fig. 4.

The spaces between links are thus substantially closed by the connectors 10, leaving the links themselves open. It is desirable, however, to close the opening through 22, 1923. Serial No. 664,272.

each link, and this is accomplished with dished plates 13 and 13 by applying a pair thereof having the members fitted at their concave edges, respectively from above and below, against the bars of the link and riveting the plates together to clamp them in place and produce the cover 13 shown in Fig. 3 for filling the linkopening. By thus covering the link-openings, a tire-casing A inclosing an inner tube B (Fig. 6) is the more completely protected by my improved armor than it would be were the openings left without covering. My improved armor is applicable with advantage, however, to other than pneumatic tires.

The terminal links of "each series 8 thereof on opposite edges of the armor carry loops 14, through which means, shown as wire cables 15, are strung for securing the armor in place about the tire, the ends of each. cable being secured together in any suitable manner, as by splicing.

To facilitate placing the armor the rim 16, which is transversely split, is separated at its ends to cause one end to resiliently overlap the other. lVith the casing A covering the deflated tube B and enveloped by the armor, the latter may then be readily placed on the rim to be fastened by securing together the ends of the cables 15 after bringing the rim-ends into abutting relation prior to inflating the tube.

I realize that considerable variation is possible in the details of construction of the tire-armor thus shown and described, and I do not intend to limit my invention thereto except as pointed out in the appended claims, in which it is my intention to claim all the novelty inherent in my invention as broadly as permissible by the state of the art.

I claim:

1. A tire-armor comprising links in series provided to extend transversely with relation to the circumference of the armored tire, connectors having arms flexibly connecting adjacent links in clusters thereof, and covers closing the link-openings.

2. A tire-armor comprising links in series provided to extend transversely with relation to the circumference of the armored tire, connectors having arms flexibly connecting adjacent links in clusters thereof, and covers closing the link-openings and each Eli) formed of a pair of dished plates clamped at their edges about a link.

3. A tire-armor comprising links in series provided to extend transversely With 5 relation to the circumference of the armored tire and having the members of successive series in staggered relation to each other,

connectors having arms flexibly connecting adjacent links in clusters thereof, loops on the opposite ends of series of said links, and tying means strung through said loops for securing the armor in place.

' JOSEPH FERRO. 

